But if They Do

In some versions this little rhyme goes on to list
a whole bunch of playfully gruesome things that might happen to the bugs.
Bill Richardson has taken the idea and written his own ending to the original
rhyme. Then, Richardson has added three more scenarios, featuring ghouls,
monsters and vampires, finishing off with quietly triumphant verse about
going to sleep.

Marc Mongeau's contribution to all this silliness
is found in the phantasmically comical watercolour illustrations.

You might expect a former children's librarian like
Richardson to have been triggered by a kids' book, but his end notes indicate
that this book came from one of those quirky little contests that are so
much a part of The Roundup. This one provided the host with a bonus in
terms of a story idea.